A few words from a professional procrastinator

Mass Effect 2 on the PS3 Review

PS3 owners have had to wait an eternity for this game make it on Sony’s console from the Xbox but thankfully Bioware has delivered the same game (almost) with a few perks.

The PS3 version is the best version of the game visually uses the Mass Effect 3 engine. The clothes look more detailed. You can now tell the difference between armor and spandex. The scars on Shepard’s face are rougher and things seem a bit brighter. Add to the fact that all three DLCs (Overlord, Kasumi, and Lair of the Shadow Broker) are included, it makes playing it a bit better.

The blu-ray media allows the entire game to played off a single disc without having to swap anything out (see Xbox version). But it requires a mandatory 6GB install from the disc and you’ll need to download the Cerberus Network content from the Playstation Store after you’ve created your EA Account. Though it is possible to go through the game without the Cerberus Network, it is the only way to see the comic book which explains the events of the first game. This is a pain.

The comic book is the only way to create decisions in the first chapter to affect the events of this game. That will take another 900++ MB download. Even then, it’s still not complete and this is where my disappointment with the game lies.

Sure, the comic book lets you easily choose who to save, who to rescue, who you have a relationship with. But there are glaring differences in the game, especially if you’ve played through the Xbox version.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

These are events that never happen in the PS3 game but happen in the Xbox version.

Missing characters:Helena Blake, the crime lord who asks you to get rid of her rivals which you are given a choice to either kill her or convince her to give up her life of crime. If you picked the paragon path, you’ll see her again on Omega.

Rana Thanoptis, you encounter the Asari scientist in the first game in Virmire. If you let her go, you’ll see her again while recruiting the Krogan Warlord.

Shiala, if you let her live after defeating the Thorian in Feros, she stays behind to help the colonists. She once again needs your help in Illium.

Conrad Verner, your number one fan. Does not appear in the Dark Star Lounge in Illium.

Gianna Parsini, the detective you help out in Noveria (surprise, surprise!) needs your help in an entrapment operation. You still get to talk to the merchant but now you are able to get discounts from her kiosk on Illium.

Nassana Dantius. She plays a pivotal role in Mass Effect 2 since she is the target of Thane Krios, the assassin you’re trying to recruit. You help her kill her sister in the first game, but now she’s never met you in her entire life.

Not really a missing event but I can’t stand the bug where if you chose Liara in the first chapter as your love interest, Kaidan’s picture appears instead. There’s also the annoying clipping of edges of your character while playing. This is really bothersome especially in the Overlord mission.

With the exception of Giana Parsini, all the other characters can be missed. However, these are the details which make the game fun to play. To be able to see the results of the decisions you made brings a little smile to my face. But not to see them makes me feel the game seems to be missing something.

So which is better? Where shall I continue the adventures of Shepard and the Normandy?

This leads me to conclude that I will end up playing both games. Though the PS3 is superior in technology, the story is what matters to me and the Xbox still delivers the complete package for the game with all the decisions, side quest results and the characters you let live in the previous game.

Thank you Bioware for making such a great game. I’ll be sad to see it go once it finishes in Mass Effect 3.